Oktoberfest in Berlin: If you didn’t make it to Munich this year

When you think of October, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Halloween? Pumpkins? Putting sweaters back into your regular outfit rotation?

Not in Germany!

When October strikes here, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find people lines at Starbucks waiting for their pumpkin-spice latte fix. Because who needs lattes when you can have beer? Lots and lots of beer! Yes, when October arrives to Germany, you can bet it’s arriving in style! With the last traces of summer officially gone, and you start to realize winter is coming after all (pun intended), celebrating might not be the first thing on your mind.

That’s where the beer comes in!

Probably the most famous German festival, Oktoberfest comes back each year to a mass of beer-loving, merry-making people of all shapes and sizes from all over the world! Headquartered in Munich, it’s a festival of epic proportions that needs careful planning and a generous budget if you want the full experience.

“But what if I didn’t plan and I don’t have a budget”, you ask?

“Don’t worry”, we say, Berlin is here to make it all better! With its own take on the famous beer drinking festival, it’s here to rescue you from poor planning and low budget! But try to do it better next year, it’s really not the same, and there nothing quite like it!

Lucky for us, Berlin is bigger than is good for you, so you can expect more than one venue to down your pints in the crowds. We’re giving you options so you can keep moving and turn the whole thing into a real city exploring experience! Because from September 21st (yep, it already started) until October 7th (or 14th) you can get your Oktoberfest experience without setting a foot outside of Berlin!

Here are a few options:

1. Oktoberfest in Alexanderplatz

A beer garden that seats a thousand, live music, endless varieties of beer, plus Bavarian specialties like pork knuckles, pretzels and roasted pork to help you not feel like a zombie the next day. Do you really need more? Oh yeah, the entry is free!

2. Oktoberfest at Kurt-Schumacher-Damm

Perfect if you just arrived or are leaving Berlin. Super close to Tegel airport, and with an authentic feel thanks to the huge tent you’ll be under, it’s guaranteed to make you think you’re at the real deal (especially after you down a few pints). All the usual suspects are there, including roasted chicken and pork knuckles, rivers of beer and even a little amusement park. Oh, and you get in for free!

3. Spreewiesn-Oktoberfest

The only one that charges an entry, but also the only one next to the river, it’s meters away from the famous East Side Gallery strip of what was once the Berlin Wall. Like in the other two, this location offers all of the fun stuff, including a dirndl competition. In case you’re wondering what a dirndl is:

And if you prefer an indoor cozy atmosphere to enjoy your brew, our Microbrewery is full of home-brewed beer, signature cocktails and a crowd of travelers waiting to share stories over a drink!